launched a thousand acts of kindness. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, washington left for christmas tonight with most americans facing a major tax increase in ten days. negotiations to avoid that went off the rails last night when some house republicans refused to go along with their own leadership. this evening, the president described himself as a hopeless optimist who was ready and willing to make a deal, but the speaker of the house said how we get there god only knows. we have two reports tonight. first, we'll go to major garrett at the white house. major? >> reporter: scott, tonight there is no bill written to avert the fiscal cliff. there is no road map to the drafting of that legislation. there are only hopes and aspirations-- both much smaller than the president would prefer.

this is the president's own plan "b", a scaled-back bill that seeks to protect tax rates for households earning less than $250,000 and extend jobless benefits for two million americans out of work for six months or more. it's a shadow of the big deal contemplated only days ago. >> in ten days we face a deadline. in ten days, under current law, tax rates are scheduled to rise on most americans. >> even though democrats and republicans are arguing about whether those rates should go up for the wealthiest individuals, all of us-- every single one of us-- agrees that tax rates shouldn't go up for the other 98% of americans. >> reporter: the president met with harry reid at the white house and spoke with house speaker john boehner. mr. obama said lawmakers need a break from fiscal cliff frustration-- much of it self- induced. >> we move forward together or

we don't move forward at all so as we leave town for a few days to be with our families for the holidays, i hope it gives everybody some perspective. >> reporter: the president will follow his own advice. lawmakers and return to washington if there is a deal. >> pelley: major, thank you. as you know, this debate is all about bringing the federal budget under control. if the white house and congress can't figure it out, big across- the-board budget cuts and those tax increases we mentioned kick in automatically january 1. the so-called fiscal cliff. the republican speaker of the house tried to force through his solution last night but he couldn't keep his own party in line. nancy cordes is at the capitol. nancy? >> reporter: scott, this was an unforced error. speaker boehner did not have to bring this plan "b" bill up but he was simply trying to get more leverage in negotiations with the president.

instead, the misstep left him weaker and there is genuine confusion among both parties tonight about what to do now. speaker boehner left the capitol for the holiday this is afternoon, 18 hours after his risky move backfired. >> we didn't have the votes to pass it. it's not the outcome that i wanted. boehner wanted the house to pass a bill extending the bush-era tax cuts for all households making less than a million dollars a year. but a few dozen conservatives balked, saying it amounted to a tax hike on millionaires. louisiana's john flemming was one of the holdouts. >> raising taxes on any american to me is not the right message. the right message is cutting spending. >> reporter: a defeated speaker boehner said the president and senate leaders would now have to take the lead in finding a resolution to avert the fiscal cliff. >> how we get there god only knows. >> reporter: mr. speaker, it sounds like you're walking away from talks with the president.

>> no, no, no. no, listen, i do not say that. nobody ought to read anything into this. we've got differences but the problem -- the country's got big spending problems and we've got to get serious added a dressing them. >> reporter: but this isn't the first time that something like this has happened in talks with the president. why should he have faith that when you negotiate with him that your members are behind him. >> listen, the president knows i've always been able to deliver on any promise i've made with him. >> reporter: it might sound like the smaller less ambitious package that the president is proposing tonight would be easier for the speaker to pass but it actuality might be more difficult for him to get republicans on board if it doesn't include that huge package of spending cuts that he had been discussing with the president and it almost certainly will set the cutoff for those bush-era tax rates much lower than where speaker boehner was directing his members last night. >> pelley: nancy, thank you. president obama also today

nominated massachusetts senator john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. the president said kerry's life has prepared him for this role. kerry served two tours in vietnam. he's been in the senate since 1985 and he chairs the foreign relations committee. in 2004, you'll recall, he lost the presidency to george w. bush. it has been a week since the school shootings in connecticut, and in newtown, they marked that moment today. (bells ringing) church bells rang 26 times for the 20 first graders and six adults killed at sandy hook elementary school. the gunman's mother was also killed. the scene was repeated all across the country-- including at the white house. the national rifle association broke its silence today following the newtown tragedy. the executive vice president of the n.r.a., wayne laperriere, said that schools would be safer

if they were protected with guns. here's chip reid. >> reporter: wayne laperriere gave no ground to gun control advocates who want to ban assault weapons and magazines that hold more than ten rounds. instead, he shifted the focus to the n.r.a.'s plan for securing the nation's schools. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. what if when adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday he'd been confronted by qualified armed security? i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> reporter: he lashed out at the entertainment industry for its violent movies and video

games. >> isn't fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography? >> reporter: he blamed the federal government for failing to create a national database of the mentally ill and failing to enforce existing gun laws and accused the news media of sensationalizing the most horrific crimes. >> how many more copy cats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame? from a national media machine that rewards them with wall-to- wall attention. >> reporter: democratic senator dianne feinstein of california, a long time leader in gun control, called the n.r.a.'s plan a distraction that's only intended to delay action by congress. >> should we have a conversation about school security? yes. should we have a conversation about mental illness and the

culture of violence? yes. but we can't ignore the common denominator in all of these deadly massacres: access, easy access to killing machines. >> reporter: the fact is, scott, that one-third of america's public schools already have armed security and it's interesting to note an armed deputy sheriff was assigned to columbine high school near denver in 1999 but failed to stop that attack that killed 13. >> pelley: chip, thank you very much. of course, the best thing is to prevent a mass shooting and the united states secret service has spent years studying assassins and school shooters in order to do just that. brian vossekuil and robert fein wrote two studies for the secret service and they told us in an interview for "60 minutes" that gunmen often leave a lot of clues about their intentions. >> strong key to prevention is to encourage those with information to come forward and to report it. and in almost every instance that we looked at there were such people that along the pathway that the attacker traveled people became aware of some of the behavior that

included acquisition of a weapon or planning or surveillance and they also became aware that the person was acting in a manner that would cause concern, that he was distressed about something. >> people who engaged in these attacks took a series of actions as in often selecting a particular weapon, sometimes practicing with the weapon. they thought "i'm desperate." they accepted the idea that violence might be an acceptable way to solve their problems. >> pelley: how many school shootings did you study? >> 37. >> pelley: in how many cases did the shooter tell someone essentially what he was planning on doing before he did it? >> in almost all of them the student communicated his intent to commit the attack. >> pelley: the people who were

told that something was going to happen, what did they do with the information? >> most often they did not come forward and tell somebody. >> pelley: why not? >> some of them -- have said that they thought they might be getting the person in trouble by coming forward and that he really wasn't serious. and in some, perhaps, they were afraid that if they brought this to the attention of an adult or a school official that they would, in effect, ruin the life of the person that they were reporting. >> pelley: there were five funerals today for those lost in the school shooting-- two adults, three children. elaine quijano is in newtown, connecticut. >> reporter: six-year-old olivia engel loved being a big sister and helping her little brother explore. dylan hockley loved chocolate and seeing the moon. grace mcdonnel's family says she dreamed of being a painter.

a memorial service for emilie parker was held last night in ogden, utah. her father robby parker is heartbroken. >> coming up the roads, we started to see the ribbons and all of your tributes to emily everywhere and a lot of you guys don't even know who she is. a lot of you never even met her. >> reporter: the last two faculty members were also laid to rest today. rachel d'avino's boyfriend was planning to propose on christmas eve. school psychologist mary sherlach was remembered for her devotion to kids in trouble. the processions of hearses in newtown are nearing an end. kim schnell doesn't know anyone here but traveled from virginia to pay her respects. >> i felt the call to come and so we got in the car and drove from virginia. just thinking about how many hurting people there are, how the acts of evil can affect so many people. >> reporter: thousands of condolence letters have

overwhelmed the newtown post office and, scott, the postmaster says they've come from across the country and all over the world. >> pelley: elaine, thank you. the last of 20 children and seven adults will be laid to rest tomorrow. a prisoner who made a daring escape is recaptured. and winter weather leaves holiday travelers stranded. we'll show you where when the "cbs evening news" continues. continues. sometimes what we suffer from is bigger thk ... like the flu. with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prso don't wait. call yourks the doctor right away. urce. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant,

nursing. have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. the flu comes on fast, so ask your doctor about tamiflu. prescription for flu. hi, i'm ensure clear... clear, huh? i'm not juice or fancy water. i've got nine grams of protein. that's th÷ree times more than m! [ female announcer ] ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. in blueberry/pomegranate and peach. i get congested. but now, with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. zyrtec-d® lets me breath freer, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed.

[ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. do you often experience the feeling of a dry mouth? it can be the side effect of many medications. dry mouth can be frustrating... and ignoring it can lead to... sipping water can help, but dentists recommend biotene. biotene moisturizes and helps supplement some of saliva's enzymes, providing soothing relief when you need it most. don't ignore dry mouth... look for biotene in your oral care section today. this has been medifacts for biotene. mine was earned off vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

>> pelley: the first big storm of the season is causing chaos for travelers. it's moving across the great lakes, at least eight supreme died and more than a thousand flights have been canceled. dean reynolds is in chicago. >> reporter: chicago officials estimated 200,000 passengers would pass through o'hare airport today and at times it looked like all of them were standing in line at once. at least they had seats. >> i think i got the last flight to st. louis until saturday or sunday. >> reporter: the wind, not the snow, was to blame for much of the travel trouble yesterday. and today gusts above 50 miles an hour scrubbed more than 700 flights and delayed another 10,000 as the wintery front moved east. this family thought they were flying to miami from chicago yesterday-- or at worst today. >> my wife checked all other airlines, there's nothing out there. the only option we have is to drive.

>> reporter: weather problems can strand more travelers these days because of fewer flights and smaller planes. u.s. airlines have cut capacity by 11% since 2005. mary frances fagan works for american airlines, which canceled 377 flights on thursday. >> to the degree we have the capability of adding flights to very popular destinations we do that, and i'm sure other carriers that have that capability do as well. >> reporter: but not everyone is going to one of those very popular destinations, scott. and for those who are not, the message from the airlines is "patience, please." >> pelley: dean, thanks very much. we found another sign that the economy is recovering and we'll tell you about it next. tell you about it next. i have what science calls the nightly stuffy nose thing.

i can't breathe, so i can't sleep. and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed and turned... i even vaporized. and then i fought back with drug-free breathe right. these nasal strips instantly open my nose, like a breath of fresh air. i was breathing and sleeping better. [ female announcer ] exercise your right to breathe right. get two free strips at breatheright.com. hey it's your right to breathe right. get two free strips at breatheright.com. to the best vacation sp(all) the gulf! it doesn't matter which of our great states folks visit. mississippi, alabama, louisiana or florida, they're gonna love it. shaul, your alabama hospitality is incredible. thanks, karen. love your mississippi outdoors. i vote for your florida beaches, dawn. bill, this louisiana seafood is delicious. we're having such a great year on the gulf, we've decided to put aside our rivalry.

now is the perfect time to visit anyone of our states. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride, go fishing or just lay in the sun. we've got coastline to explore and wildlife to photograph. and there's world class dining with our world famous seafood. so for a great vacation this year, come to the gulf. its all fabulous but i give florida the edge. right after mississippi. you mean alabama. say louisiana or there's no dessert. this invitation is brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. ♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] choose the same brand your mom trusted for you. children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade.

of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians >> pelley: the specialty pharmacy linked to that deadly meningitis outbreak filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today.

the new england compounding center says that will allow it to set up a fund to compensate those who got sick. the outbreak was traced to tainted steroids prepared by the pharmacy. it has spread to 19 states with nearly 400 cases and 39 deaths. the recession hit california harder than a lot of states and it recovery has been slower. but today we learned that california's unemployment rate dipped below 10% last month, and that's the first time in nearly four years. in chicago, the great escape has ended in one capture. joseph banks was caught last night. on tuesday, banks and his cellmate, kenneth conley, squeezed out of a jailhouse window nearly 20 stories up, slid down a rope made of bed sheets and hailed a cab. conley is still on the run. the brief life of one young child has inspired a national

movement of giving. "on the road" with steve hartman is next. artman is next. [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day women's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for women's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day 50+. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health.

those little things for you, life's about her. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

prego?! but i've bought ragu for years. [ thinking ] wonder what other questionable choices i've made? i choose date number 2! whooo! [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing,

ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com. hi-def doppler is tracking e next wave headed this way. next at six. nn-frid236-in 3 people chard with fatal neighborhood there's no way to hide the pain after what happened in newtown, connecticut. it hurts every time that any child is lost. but out of sorrow can come hope, as steve hartman discovered "on the road." >> slow down. >> reporter: for a little boy's birthday party, it was a huge crowd. >> wow. a lot of people here. >> reporter: the boy's dad, tom lamb, and stepmom nicole invited all of northeast michigan to launch these chinese lanterns. >> send them off, everybody. >> reporter: to celebrate what would have been their son's 9th birthday. >> i miss him so much.

>> i know. >> so hard. i just want him back. [ crying ] >> we love you, jayden! >> reporter: much of what so many people loved about jayden lamb can be seen in this home video. although he had a rare form of cancer that attacked his central nervous system, here he is lip-synching a silly christmas song, busting a move right after a chemo treatment. the kid had that kind of spirit. but it was his final words, all his own, that will forever stick with his father. >> he looked at me right in the eye and he said, "i'm never going to get married, daddy." my heart sunk when he said that. i'm like, "why would you say that, buddy?" and he said, "god needs me more." >> reporter: "god needs me more," his last full sentence, but the beginning of something truly remarkable. a couple of days after jayden died, tom and nicole were in line to get some coffee when they decided spur of the moment

to pay for the customer behind them in the drive-through. it was supposed to be just a little symbolic "thank you" to the community for being so supportive. >> we didn't think we were starting a chain reaction, that's for sure. >> reporter: but after posting it on facebook, that's exactly what happened. >> really shocked. >> reporter: sarah may niemeyer got a $50 tip. >> it said, "in memory of jayden lamb." and underneath it, it said, "merry christmas." >> reporter: all the christmas presents? >> everything. >> reporter: jennifer campbell got her entire layaway paid off. >> yeah. >> reporter: and at this salvation army kettle, an anonymous donor put in a diamond ring with a note that read, "paying it forward, jayden style." and those are just a few examples of what has become a phenomenon in and around midland, michigan. restaurant managers say they will sometimes go 15 minutes without anyone paying for their own meal. >> it's an everyday all day kind of thing. >> reporter: when did you start to realize what was happening? >> i think when we went to lunch and we got our bill, and it said, uhm....... [ pause ]

>> it said "zero owed, paying it forward in honor of jayden lamb." [ voice breaking ] >> reporter: full circle and now circling the globe. through facebook, tom and nicole are getting word of kind deeds being done across the country and around the world all in honor of jayden lamb, the boy who told his dad, god needed him more. >> i wonder that myself. is this what god needed him more for, a message of hope for humanity? >> reporter: this holiday season, people have been asking themselves, how do you celebrate a holiday when so much has been taken? >> wow, look at that. >> reporter: here, the answer is simple. >> wow. >> reporter: just give. steve hartman "on the road" in midland, michigan. >> and that's the "cbs evening news." i'll see you sunday on "60 minutes." for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night.

i'm allen martin. i'm allen martin. california's unemployment re ha the >> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald. i'm juliette goodrich. >> i'm allen martin. california's unemployment rate has not been this good since the recession began four years ago. but are the numbers truly indicative of a rebounded? there are a lot of factors that go into the single-digit jobless rate. cbs 5 reporter grace lee with why it may be too quick to say we have finally turned the corner. >> reporter: juliette, our state still has the third worst unemployment rate in the nation. we're well above the national rate. so we spoke with a former director of the state's labor department who says that the unemployment rate is really just one piece of the overall economic picture and it may look better than it actually is. >> i think the rate it's important but it means less and less of indicating what's going on out there in terms of jobs. >> reporter: michael would know

since he used to run the state's employment development agency. california's unemployment rate dropped to 9.8% in november from 10.1% in october. the numbers haven't been this good since 2007. he says those numbers though are somewhat misleading. he says there are one million californians who have part-time jobs who would actually prefer to be working full time. they are the ones helping to bring the unemployment rate down making the market look better than it really is. >> they are employed but some are working 5, 10, 15 hours a week. that's a different type of employment. >> reporter: he says it's not bad for everyone. silicon valley is hiring if you have a certain skill set. >> even here in san francisco, even here, it's doing better than virtually everywhere else. you have a bifurcated economy. if you are a skilled programmer, if you have those computer skills, it's the greatest place to be on the earth. but for the rest of